My Sunday Photo

My Sunday Photo, Paris, Las Vegas

My Year Of Blogucation

So it's 19.48 Saturday night and I am sat on a train pulling out of Euston station having just been to Blogfest. It was a truly wonderful day, the highlight being meeting my amazing blogging friends who I chat on line to daily yet have never met. They are all a lovely as I hoped they would be, so kind, caring and supportive. Yet I come away feeling slightly overwhelmed. 

I take you back to June 2014 when I attended my first ever conference Brit Mums Live. Wow I was totally courted and wooed by the blogging world such a glitzy affair.  I learnt so much and met so many wonderful people. I came away buzzing high from the blog bubble, but looking back totally naive. 

I had no idea about stats; no follow links, publishing laws. It was all like a lovely wonderful fairytale. Don't get me wrong blogging is still my fairytale every time I press publish I get that excited shiver down my spine, I look upon my blog like another child that needs nurturing and attention, have grown to love it, but it has been a learning curve.

My next event was Tots100 Blog Camp. So totally different to my Brit Mums experience but again I met so many generous, caring people and learnt loads. But, and its is a biggish but; I was overwhelmed at the concept of pitching to editors, advertising and working with brands. 

Nativity 3, Dude Where's My Donkey

On Sunday we were so lucky to get the opportunity to watch the Nativity 3 Premier at The Odeon Cinema, at the Trafford Centre Manchester. The Premier supported The Save The Children Christmas Jumper Day, so off we went; I in my Christmas jumper ready to watch the film.

When new "teacher" Mr. Shepherd loses his memory in a nasty accident along with the nativity Donkey Archie, the students of St Bernadette's set off on a mission to save the day. Return Mr Shepherds memory, and attempt to get him to New York to marry his fiancée Sophie and make his daughters Christmas wish come true, by giving her a new mummy. And also discover the whereabouts of Archie.

This is definitely not a film for the serious logical adult, I don't mean that in a negative way; but the story breaks every rule of logic and normality. It really does require you to leave the serious adult side of you outside the cinema door. 

Tricks For Mums

This week on Striking Mums the lovely Kate has set the topic Tricks for Mums. A great topic; us Mums have to be resourceful, don't we? We have to be able to rustle up a costume at a moments notice, be experts in all sorts of homework subjects.

Make grumpy kids smile, nurse our poorly children, and shape them into human beings to be proud of and everything else that comes with it.

Its weird, although I come from a huge family with lots of aunts and cousins that have between us all, produced a new baby every year since the 70s, which is wonderful to be part of. I was never prepared for being a Mum, even though I had always babysat, so knew my way around a nappy and changing box. 

I could never, however have prepared myself for parenthood, for feeling that love, despair, stress, tiredness, pride and joy that you feel as a Mum. I remember feeling utterly out of my depth when we brought Jack home. Who turned our organised calm home upside down. Now I have evolved into a resourceful Mum. Who within reason can solve, repair, mend, and even bake Burnley Football cup cakes. 

So here are Kate's questions

1. How do you outwit people or circumstances who prevent you getting the life you want?

I don't always get this right, I am a passionate person so tent to speak out rather than play the long game. However if someone does try to make things hard for me, the stubborn side of me is always determined to not allow them to beat me.

My Sunday Photo, My Brother

I would like to share a photo of my lovely brother today. A serving soldier in our great British Army. Our brave soldiers see things no person should have to endure in life. People like my brother make me incredibly proud to be British, and a big sister.

Next Winters Nights Wish List

With the night drawing in I thought I would make a little wish list for those snugly winters nights. I love nothing more that coming home in the evening and snuggling by the wood burning stove in my PJ's, slippers and a snugly blanket. 

Grey Print P.J's  Oatmeal Snuggle Top  Fluffy Slippers  Shorty P.J's  Throw and Pillows Mug of Hot Chocolate

The Botanist Manchester

 The Botanist in Manchester is part of the New World Trading Company and I must say who ever masterminds the designs for them is just a pure genius. 

Saturday was my first visit to the botanist and it will not be my last. From the outside it is appealing in an odd sort of Green house way, but as you go through the door you enter into a retro garden wonderland. It is quite odd, yet quirky and inspiring.

Is Achieving Domestic Goddess Status Actually Possible?

So exactly how do they do it? Achieve that all round perfection, something I strive to every day, but I never quite make it. There is always an issue, a broken glass, spillage, burnt dinner or forgotten work emails.

Multi tasking has never been my strong point; don't get me wrong I try to juggle as many balls in the air as possible. Sometimes I get it right, but I am my own worst enemy for being soft, agreeing to work extra hours, double booking arrangements and not putting it in my diary.

I don't even feel like I am asking much. I just want my hair and make-up to look amazing whilst I graciously help the boys with their homework and effortlessly rustle up an amazing meal, in a perfectly tidy home. After all that’s what we grow up seeing on the TV and in magazines isn't it? To be an amazing multi tasking superwoman, some one who effortlessly bakes cookies on her beautiful AGA cooker.

So, what exactly is my reality of domestic perfection? Well for starters I haven't got an AGA, I blame my not being a fully-fledged domestic goddess purely on this fact. Every domestic goddesses kitchen simply must have one; surely?

I don’t score too badly on the hair front, I have to keep on top of it as part of my job so failure in this department would be a failure of epic proportion, a failure that I could not afford to make. But my makeup could be more goddess like, I always start off with lipstick in the morning but god only knows what happens to it, I need to be much more vigilant in the lipstick department. 

Tesco's Farm To Food Trail

Last week Joe and I attended a farm to fork talk in Padiham at Tesco's Lancashire. It is an initiative that is open to Schools in the area, we were lucky enough to be able to go along during half term and see what it was all about.

The event was run by the fabulous Sabrina who first told the children how to act safely in store, gave them all clipboards and handouts, she then showed us to the fruit and Veg aisle. Here Sabrina told us all about the fruit and veg and discussed how to identify where food comes from. 

Eating Out With Diabetes

We have had some great and terrible experiences when eating out since Jack has been diagnosed.
I must say that 90% of our experiences have been very positive. In the most people are very attentive and try their best to help.

So here is our survival guide to restaurants, what works for us.

Obvious I know, but I always ensure Jack has checked his sugar before we go out to eat.  If his sugar is low it can make him a little grumpy, not the best frame of mind for choosing a meal.

Install Carbs & Cals onto a mobile device, this is fantastic as it shows portion sizes so enables you to identify the exact size of your meal. Thus helping you to work out your carbs almost exactly. We have it on all of our devices, for us it is a must have app that makes life so easy. There is also a paperback version available.

When ordering your meal, speak to the staff in the restaurant. People have been so helpful with Jack, helped him work out his portion sizes. On occasions he has even been taken into the kitchen to meet the chef who has shown him portion sizes.

My Sunday Photo, The Grand Canyon

The Tragedy of Pompeii

I remember briefly studying Pompeii at school so had an awareness of it before I visited. But nothing could have prepared me for the reality. 

Mount Vesuvius is a volcano near the bar of Naples; it is hundreds and thousands of years old and thought to have erupted over 50 times.

It most infamous eruption was on 24th August 79AD, when it completely engulfed the Roman city of Pompeii nestled at the foot of Vesuvius. The eruption buried the city and killed 2000 people and left the City abandoned for 2000 years. 

Mouth Vesuvius 

Pompeii remained mostly untouched until 1748, when a group of explorers arrived in Campania and began to dig. They found that the ashes had acted as the most amazing preservative.

Underneath all that dust, Pompeii was almost exactly as it had been 2,000 years before. Its buildings were intact. People had been frozen exactly where they had fallen. They discovered everyday objects and household goods had littered the streets. Later archaeologists even uncovered jars of preserved fruit and loaves of bread! Almost 3 centuries later Pompeii is still being uncovered and new and exciting finds discover all the time.

This Bedroom is thought be the local Brothel

When Vesuvius started to erupt it sent plumes high into the air, so that people from hundreds of miles around could see, at this time many Pompeian’s took the decision to flee the city.